Reality and Decipt
by tine13
Summary: What can I say....a Lily and James fic...I owe most of the intellectual property to J.K. but I changed Andromeda to Malfoy's sister instead of Sirius'. All good
1. Default Chapter

What can I say....a Lily and James fic...I owe most of the intellectual property to J.K. Rowling but the plot and some of the characters are of my own invention. Add Lucius in love with a half-blood or less (GASP!) and Narcissa Black raging and scheming a  
  
It was Novermber, and cold. Cloaks and scarves were on all around. Things couldn't have been better for Alex, who had recently become the love interest of the maurauderer, Remus. The glow of happiness seperated her, off on her own little cloud. Nothing was cold to her, not even the sparkling snow that lay in heaping piles on the frozen ground. Icecles hung like great shards of winter from the roof tops, becconing for the children to pick. The first years all leaped about trying to grasp the sparkling swords of ice. Alex watched them with glee. Her daydream was broken by her half-sister, Leif, nearly scaring her half to death by yelling very loudly in her ear. It sounded something like this, "HI!!!!!!" "AGGGGGGG! WHAT!? LEIF!! What on earth? Are you trying to deafen me!!!! "Of course not, but guess what!!!?" "What? Just tell me and then go back to your awful dark, Slytherin common room!" "I just thought you might want to know....sister....that your sugar honey is waiting for you in the library! "OOOOOOHhhhh, thanks, Leif!" Leif had never seen anyone run so fast in her life. It had actually been quite amusing.  
  
*************  
  
Alex flew up the corridor to the library. Remus was waiting for her! "MOVE!!!!!!" she yelled at random passers by, making them jump, and occaisionally drop things. One though made her stop her hurtling run. Your hair, check your hair, Alex, said her brain. She stopped dead. Professer Flitwick came out of door seconds before that thought, he would have been a goner. There were no mirrors around. Oh, Help, no mirror. Well......she was a prefect.....no one was here at the moment..... She dropped into a nook and conjured a tiny pocket mirror. Perfect as usual, her hair was looking great. Phew, said her brain, we can go to Remus now. She resumed her sprint. Leif was standing and watching Alex dissapear into the distance. A black object in the corner of her eye moved into view. Lucius Malfoy. "Hi, Leif." he tried. Leif was certainly sure that this was a joke. Lucius Malfoy.....talking to.....her. Oh. Brain! Say somthing! "Hey Lucius." she managed, "Did you want something?" He thought for a second, blonde hair gleaming as it caught the sun, then replied, "No, just wanted to say hello." Then he turned,and was gone. ********* Well, thought Leif, that was amazingly weird.  
  
Leif took a brief moment to think about what reason Lucius would possibly have for talking to her, then let it go, and took Alex's advice to go to the Slytherin common room. She approached the blank rock face of the dungeon wall and whispered, "Ophelia". It was an odd password for the Slytherins, she suspected they had run out of suitable sinister ones this week. Forgetting all about Malfoy, she stepped into the common room to behold Andromeda Malfoy, and Narcissa Black having a go at eachother. It seemed to be in behalf of Andromeda's brother, the very same, Lucius Malfoy. Andromeda's long blonde hair gleamed as she shook her hair at Narcissa, shouting, "What in the name of Salazar Slytherin are you doing to my brother!?" she demanded, "He is NOT your slave, or didn't you know that?" It was funny that Narcissa was in Slytherin, when her brother, Remus, was in Gryffindor. Leif shrugged, the same held true for her and Alex. Narcissa shrugged as well, she didn't seem to feel she had done anything wrong. Her tightly braided brown-black hair hung like ropes at her still sides. Finally she hissed, "Well you better learn to live with me, Andromeda, because I am the best pureblood witch, and I'm going to make a nice pureblooded maraige with your brother when we get out of school, and then we're going to have nice pureblooded children. So suck it up, Malfoy." Narcissa strode off. Andromeda couldn't follow since they shared a dormitory, so she plopped down on a leather chair and sighed. Leif stepped out from the shadows, "Tough luck, Andromeda!" she said cheekily. She leaped up, and seized Leif by her robes. "Listen Leif, you scrawny half-blood, you repeat any of what you heard, and your for it." She released the younger girl, "Run along and play now!" she added sweetly.  
  
**************  
  
Leif ran to catch up with the two Slytherin girls ahead of her. They had their backs to eachother, and were quite a distance apart so she chose the middle. Being between them was a right task, keeping them apart, but together at the same time. She managed though, and soon they were all talking, despite what had happened between Narcissa and Andromeda. They reached the common room to put their things away before dinner. Leif's dormitory was several rooms away from the other's partly because they were two years older, and partly because Leif had the smallest room, being only one of two fourth years. Her other year mate was already there, putting her spell books on the small shelf above her four-poster. "Hello, Hannah!" Leif greeted her. Hannah looked up, her wavy brown-blonde hair falling into her face. She brushed it back, "Hi, Leif." she said, and then continued putting away her school things. Leif shrugged. Hannah didn't talk much. She was considered one of the lowly Slytherins as well, but they weren't really friends. It didn't matter, she wasn't going to dinner right away, as she wanted to take a bath in the prefect's bathroom before the after-dinner rush. No one used the baths before dinner, except her, so she was gaurenteed privacy. She turned the corner along the hall and entered the large room, stopping to take a large green towel off of the racks, and get her hair care products. True to her word, the bathroom was empty and quiet as the grave. This was the way Leif liked it. Everything was always so rushed and pushed. No one had time to enjoy things anymore. She liked to be alone and think sometimes. Just think.   
  
******** She stripped, pulling layer after layer off of her. She hated the cold, so many layers were a must in this near-Christmas weather. Once undressed, she ran the great bath, green, steaming water pouring out of the carved, brass tap. The water sparkled and eddied around in a vast pool of turquiose, and she stood, and watched it, captivated by the light and the colour. She embraced it; the light and the silence were hers. Hers alone. Nothing mattered. There was no time. Finally, she dived, letting the warm water caress her body. Her silence was broken by a footfall. A soft footstep. She had heard it. But there were no more to follow. She must be imagining. No. There. A black robed student, with a silver Prefect's badge a gleam on his chest? her chest? HE stepped out of the shadows. Leif gasped. No. She hadn't just seen that. It hadn't been. She inhaled again. Yes. It was; Lucius Malfoy.  
  
*************  
  
Back in the Great Hall, dinner was being eaten in a very noisy fashion. People were everywhere! This year's enrollment had been the largest in almost half of a century. Despite this, Hogwarts continued to have the best standards, beating Durmstrang for eight years running. Lily Evans was responsible for MORE than her part at the school, and it showed. She had been called "Best Head Girl Yet." and even repoted on in 'The Daily Prophet'. A boy would be happy with a girl of her caliber, but add her looks, and she could have any boy Europe could offer. Rumor had it, that she would have married the Prince, if he hadn't been a muggle. James, of course, found this rediculous. With his ego a year ago, somewhat deflated recently,and on Lily's behalf, he thought SHE was priviledged to go out with him. But things had changed, and James had settled into going steady with her. Those months had been some of the best Lily could have asked for, minus James' quick temper. Other than that, things were looking up for them both. They still had a year of school before they had to come to a decision wether to stay together, or to part ways. Lily had been pondering that for a long time lately. But surely a year was plenty of time, so she put it to the back of her mind, and continued eating. **************  
  
At the Slytherin table, things were a lttle difference. Stoney silence prevailed. Finally Narcissa Black broke it with her cutting words, "Where have you taken him, Andromeda. I know you are trying to stop him from seeing me." Andromeda didn't even look up, concerned more by the hair in her food, than by Narcissa. When she got around to it, she said, "I haven't done a thing with him. I can't control my brother any more than you can." With that, she resumed eating.  
  
**************  
  
Leif stopped dead and reached for the side of the huge bath. What was Lucius Malfoy doing there? No one used the baths before dinner! But he was there, and Leif......needed a towel. It didn't make any sense! Malfoy was sixteen, her half-sister's age, and popular, a real snob of a pure-blood. Good-looking enough to have any girl he wanted, but that was Malfoy for you. She couldn't see why he was talking to her, and now, making an effort to see her. It was common fact in Slytherin house, that the baths were Leif's before dinner. Everyone knew that, including Lucius. She dived deeper in an effort to avoid him, she certainly didn't want him to jump in the huge bath with her. If he did, she would be out like a leaping trout out of the water, naked or not. Her green towel was still sitting on the edge of the bath, and she missed it more than ever. Still underwater, her black hair billowed around her like a curtain of night. Her eyes were wide open and seeing clearly through the blue-green waters. And there it was; the splash and the flurry of water. Lucius Malfoy had in fact jumped in. Leif saw it all. The cascade of water, the pale face and locks of Malfoy. In fact....ALL of Malfoy. She panicked, sending her remaining breath out of her body. She gulped one last time, swallowing water instead of air, and it was done. She was gone to the blackness.  
  
***************  
  
Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Alex, and Peter all exited the Great Hall laughing and joking. Things were great with everyone, life was looking up. Sirius looked down the hall, obviously interested in something he saw. A second glance, and he went through the portrait hole as well. Peter strolled along behind the group, thinking his own private thoughts, and trying not to furrow his brow too deeply. Alex turned to Remus, "I'm for bed. Good night." she kissed him deeply and left. When she was gone, Remus whistled his appreciation, and looked to James, "Well, Jamesie, want me to beat you at exploding snap again, or have you gotten any better?" James looked up. He took awhile to reply. Finally he said, "No. I don't fancy having my weaknesses rubbed in my face, and I have to get my notes for Sirius, and then...." he trailed off. "What?" Remus prompted. "Uhhh...." he continued, "I'm going to do some Astronomy homework up the Astronomy tower." Remus looked amused, "Oh really!" he retorted, "Is *cough* Lily! *cough* going to study with you?" "What? Sorry didn't catch that." James replied. Remus looked bemusedly back at him, "I said are you going to study with Sirius and me as well?" James smiled, "Well I never thought about it, but if you're planning to try to throw my off of the tower again, it won't work. " he paused for breath, "Well maybe, I might be studying with someone else." "Oh really." Sirius piped up, "Who?" James went a lovely shade of red and mumbled, "Ummm....one of the Hufflepuff boys. Don't think you know him. Well I have to...err....go now." He concluded. With that, the remaining five split up. Lily to the dormitories, Sirius and Remus following James, and Peter to an armchair by the fire. Peter curled up into a ball of security and warmth. He sat still for a long while thinking.  
  
******************* 


	2. Not as it may seem

Later that night, a stiff and tired Peter was woken by the return of James, Sirius, and Remus. He was still in the fetal position he had fallen asleep in four hours ago. He yawned and stretched, his aching muscles screaming. James, Sirius, and Remus clustered around his vacated armchair, and looked down at him with concern. "Allright, Peter?" James asked, "Were you there all that time?" The furrow already lining Peter's brow deepened as he though, "Phaw. What time is it? I feel awful." He experimentaly flexed an arm. Sirius leaned in for a closer inspection, "Whoa, Mate!" he exclaimed, "There are lines in your face where you were lying on the edge of the chair!" Peter raised his right hand to his cheek, "Really. Oh..........well. I'm off." He started for the stairs very stiffly. The three glanced at Peter's retreating back, and then followed him up to the tower dormitory.   
  
**************************** Back in the girls' side, Lily and Alex were chatting late into the night, having a little catch-up and sharing some gossip. Lily was in the middle of telling Alex a story about what James had done for her sixteenth birthday, when their year mate, Eloise, burst in puffing. Alex was the first to speak, saying, "Eloise? What ever is the matter? Haven't you heard of knocking!?" Eloise continued to pant for awhile, then explained, "I was.....in the common room....you know...who I like. Well he was asleep there and I was watching him from a corner....and then his other three friends came.....and I had to run so as not to be seen by them." Lily heaved a sigh, "Ohh............I thought........something really terrible had happened." After changing into sleep wear, Eloise joined the three in their gossip circle where they talked into the wee hours of the morning.  
  
******************************  
  
For Lily the next day started early. She was up with the sun as promised the night before. Dawn was brisk in early December, but Lily lived it to it's fullest. She flung herself out of bed at the first sign of light, auburn hair flashing. She was not so eager once her bare feet hit the cold stone floor of the dormitories. Withdrawing her still-warm feet from the flagstones, she groped for her slippers. In the process she managed to waken her other groggy year mates. They were not pleased. Insults were shouted, pillows were thrown, and all around chaos ensued. Once the feathers were settled and almost everyone else back into their warm beds, Lily made her way to the prefect's bathrooms. White towels and warm water welcomed her. Torches were still ablaze in the half-lit bathroom, casting deep shadows, and making the once-merry room seem more sinister than usual. Brushing off such thoughts, she undressed and slipped into the bath, enjoying warm water and a vast supply of bubble bath.   
  
****************************** Freshly washed and clean, Lily flew from the bathrooms to the common room. As usual, James was there, unaccompanied by his three best friends this time. He greeted Lily, his deep black hair still damp from a bath of his own. She tousled it playfully and sat beside him, enjoying his presence. He pulled her closer, and into his arms, "I love you." he whispered softly, letting the words linger on his lips and in his kisses. Later on, when the two had finished their "morning routine", the friends met up in the Great Hall, enjoying talk and food at the same time. Peter sat a little off from the group thinkning of things only known to him. Alex was the one who invited him over to the group, asking him to pass her the butter. He obliged and moved closer, still off in his own little world.  
  
*******************************  
  
Leif woke. In the arms of.......WHAT?????.....Lucius Malfoy???? It was too much. She fainted dead away again. Coming to several minutes later, all she saw was his face, his expression. His expression......was it concern? Or cruel humour disguised? She decided it was concern judgeing by the way he had acted lately....friendly to her. Weird. Then she realized she was in the prefect's bathrooms. Naked. NAKED????!!!! She looked down at herself, and was found to be wearing her towel. And she was what??? In the arms of Malfoy!!! She looked at him. He was also wearing a towel. Green, Fluffy, soft. Then she realized she was staring, and looked away, embarassed. Then it occured to her that she could, in fact, move. She tried to sit up, but only managed to hit the top of her head on Lucius' chin. He looked down at her, startled, then managed to speak, "Oh...." he said, "You're awake." Leif managed sarcasm and a smirk, "Yeah. I am. Good observation." She thought for a while, then spoke, "Did you.....by any chance........happen to save me?" He was looking at her now, "Yeah, I suppose." He thought some more, "Didn't you want me to?" Leif looked up at him, "Yes." she replied, "I think it was kind of brave of you." Malfoy held her gaze, "That's good. I really..........I really like you Leif." Leif started to say that he had a girlfriend, but she closed her mouth quickly, on account of Lucius Malfoy leaning down and kissing her. She had no choice but to let it happen, and enjoy it if she could.   
  
***************************** Later, both of them dressed, and Leif thinking somewhat straighter, they met up in a nook of the common room.Leif was first to speak, "Lucius." she said, keeping her voice low, "What about Narcissa?......Don't you love her?" To her surprise, Lucius blushed, then answered, "No. I don't. I love you. She's a pureblood, I have to inter-marry." Leif was quiet, so Lucius continued, "I just want to be with you. But if that's not what you want......." He trailed off. Leif jumped on the comment, "No." she said quickly, "It's not that......"  
  
*****************************  
  
'Next weekend Hogsmead's weekend' read the flyer pinned to the Gryffindor bulletin. The weekend. Sweet bliss. It was a thursday, plain and simple, devoid of anything intersesting to do. The maurauders clustered at the nearest armchairs to the common room's fire. Great warmth radiated from the hearth, and many a younger student had been caught on fire, only to put put out, and then be told off, by one of the many prefects. Kayleigh and Lily were studying, Remus and Sirius were laughing, and Peter, James, and Alex leaned closer to the blistering flames in order to get warmer. Once they were toasty, they leaned back and started a conversation. The topic wasn't much and soon died out, fizzled like water thrown on fire.   
  
A contomplative silence remained, one Peter was all to used to. The thoughts swirled in his head. No one really cared, he was the odd one out, the tag-along, the fifth wheel, and the outcast. Not really brave enough to be a maurauderer, or much of a Gryffindor. He had earned a grand total of 50 points in his six years at the school. He was a failure, an oucast, a rag-tag half-blood. Worthless at half his subjects. The silence was broken by the snap of a book in the general direction of Lily and Kayleigh. Kayleigh stood up,"I'm done." she announced. Her brown hair shook, "I might do the extra-credit.......what do you think? Do I have enough time before dinner?" James spoke up, "What?" he asked, "You didn't finish the course already?" His eyes smiled up at her, crinkled with mirth. Se half-smiled and replied, "No. And you..........are far from finishing as well." She was right, he was last in muggle-studies, and still couldn't figure out how the.....what was it called........oh yes.....the 'telemitron' worked. She was top of her class. Perfect marks........and tied with Lily. Lily was head-girl by only a percent. A fact she held above Kayleigh in many arguments.  
  
*********************************  
  
Back at the common room Leif was stalling, "What would they say, Lucius? Have you thought of that?" she demanded. "Ummmmm.......no." Lucius replied, "actually I haven't." Great. Just great. Lucius loves her when really she thought she was too much of an outcast to be anything much in Slytherin. This could certainly bring her up a notch or two, and also bring Lucius down. She contemplated. "They don't have to know!" He responded, cutting the tension and silence with a knife. "You're right." Leif replied, vexed with herself that she hadn't foreseen this by now, "But give me a little time, okay?" she stated softly. There was nothing more that Lucius could do than step away. Leif caught him."It's good to finally know" she wispered softly. He kissed her deeply and pulled away, his grey eyes shining, "It certainly is." he repied, and then holding her until the last second, strode away up the dank passage, blonde locks gleaming.  
  
**************************  
  
Lucius was restless. Sitting in an armchair with Narcissa Black on his lap, he just didn't feel comfortable anymore. Leif was his......if he wanted. She was the perfect girl, yet everyone overlooked her. People just couldn't see things for what they really were. A big game. Thats all it was. Some intricate game where your place was everything. He was sick of it. Lucius stirred. He just wanted to get up, leave the room, go somewhere quiet. The weight on his lap stilled him once again. This was wrong. All wrong. He had to get out. He moved again. "Lucius?" asked Narcissa, shifting her own weight and putting her own feet on the floor. "Lucius, are you allright?" He stuttered for a moment, "Y-yes. I just need to......need to go outside for a moment." He stood, forcing her to her feet as well. "Lucius!" she blustered indignantly, "Where are you going? We've only just sat down." Narcissa crossed her arms in disgust. He didn't bother to answer her, but instead walked away down to the common room exit, and meeting Leif there, towed her out of the door after him. All Narcissa saw was his hind end as he left up the passasge. He appeared to be pushing something ahead of him......  
  
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	3. What comes of a choice

"What a waste of a good boy." snarled Narcissa to Andromeda. It was the first time they had talked in weeks. Things were semi-normal again. Narcissa was ranting, Andromeda was nodding, and the rest of Slytherin were observing. "He's a tricky one. He says he loves you one day, and walks out on you the next." she went on, "And further more, we're not done yet, so none of you are getting any ideas." The Slytherin girls all nodded, concluding silently that it was all but over; for Lucius anyway, wether Narcissa liked it or not. None of them said a word, but they all thought the same thing: He's mine, now. Narcissa, oblivious to the thoughts of every female Slytherin, heck, every female, stormed up the passage to the girls' dormitories to brood until Lucius returned. Outside, Lucius was pulling Leif into a nook, "Please," he started, "Don't go in there." "What on earth are you talking about, Lucius?" Leif asked, "I was just going to go to the dormitories to change for dinner." "Narcissa will be on one of her rampages." he explained. "She's not too happy that I just got up and walked out. If you had gone in there just at that moment, she would have turned on you too." He concluded with a curt nod. Leif was unpreturbed, "Oh, Lucius, I'm not worried about Narcissa. I'm the one who fixes all of this when she's angry at you. She would have dumped you by now, you know, if I hadn't smoothed it all over and told her how lucky she was to have you. In fact, I was actually quite jealous of her, and she didn't even realize what she had." Lucius was stunned, "You.....you did that......all along?" he asked. Leif nodded, "I did. And it wasn't easy you know." "Wow." he amended, "I didn't even realise just how great you are Leif. I only got the exterior, and that was good enough for me, even. I'm starting to think.......well....that I'm not good enought....for you." he looked at her, then cast down his eyes. Leif lifted his chin, "You're more than enough for me." she said gently. She turned away. He caught her. "Thank you, Leif. For being my confidence." He kissed her, then let her go. She walked on up the corridor, stopping only once to llok back at him, his endearing face, and then she turned, whispered a word or two, and was gone.  
  
Peter stalked up the passage to the common room. Things were lousy again. James had beat him at exploding snap, Sirius had been too busy with Alex to pay attention to what he was talking about, Dumbledore had picked on him in class, when he knew he wasn't the least bit interested in Defense against the dark arts, and even Snape had taunted him. Of course it had been all too easy to taunt poor defensless Peter when he was away from his brave Griffindor buddies. He was just another face in the crowd. A shadow behind all of the bravery and valor of his housemates and friends. He finally reached the portrait hole of Gryfindor tower and gave the password. The fat lady swung forward and he slouched into the room. When he was acroos it, he bent and slumped in an armchair, dejected. Half an hour later, the maurauderers all trooped up to the tower laughing. Peter heard them from his place by the fire. Not wanting to endure another loss, he started to the stairs of the dormitories. He was two stairs up when they came in after him. He knew they would call out, and in a last resort to get out of sight, ran. He was not fast enough, though. James saw his cloak hem dissapearing and called, "Hey, Peter, wait up, we're going to play with the snitch!" Peter ignored him and ran all the more faster. "James?" Lily commented, "Do you think ther's something wrong with him?" James nodded, "I better go and see." He started up the stairs after the other boy, his black hair tousled from the rough and tumble in the corridor  
  
Leif sauntered through the Slytherin commons, unconcerned and silent. Narcissa stopped her by roughly pushing her backwards. Leif was stunned "Narcissa, what are you doing?" she asked, expression changing all too quickly. From cool affirmation to wide eyed innocence she played the part. Narcissa eyed her suspiciously, keeping an eye on the others in the room as well, "You know!" she hissed, "Don't you deny it!" Leif knew it all too well. They couldn't keep things in the dark forever. "I don't know what you are talking about." "You scrawny brat!" she screeched, "You filthy half-blood scum..." Leif was amazed that she would stoop to that, but bit back the insults, "Hold your toungue, Black." she said with ferocity. In rage, Narcissa fairly flew up the corridor towards her rooms. "Angry little thing." Leif commented, and several listeners chuckled. The dungeon wall opened and Lucius swept in, blonde hair frozen with snow. "Leif." he adressed her, "May I see you....outside." The Slytherins looked up, glanced at eachother and looked down. Something was going on.....   
  
Lucius took Leif into an out of the way classroom and shut the door. Turning around to her, and looking thouroughly pleased with himself, Lucius kissed her playfully on the nose, picked her up and set her on a desk.   
  
Leif was stunned but quite amused at his antics, and played the part. She grinned quite happily as they kissed some more, sitting on the desk there.   
  
Finally Leif was getting restless.   
  
"So Lucius....did you bring me here to tell me something....or just to kiss....but either one should be fine..." she added cheekily.   
  
Lucius looked at her, "Errr....well...I hadn't planned on kissing so much..but I don't mind either way. I just wanted to tell you........I am finally going to give up on Narcissa. I just don't like her that way anymore. She's fine for a while, but she's.....well......she's not like you."   
  
Leif was suddenly struck very melancholy by what he had said, "So Lucius......well.....did you ever love her? Really love her?"   
  
Lucius looked at Leif, sitting there with her head cocked to the side, lack bangs dangling in her face. He looked again. She was so gorgeous...and without even realising it. He kissed her deeply again. "Does it seem like it?" he whispered, "I don't really know.....just.....just not like you.....never like you."   
  
She shut him up quick.......before it got to cheesy. Not that Lucius was cheesy.....he was....unique. When she had met him, she had expected him to be a pretty-boy, purely from appearance. He looked like he owned the world......but now he owned her world........and that was enough.  
  
Lily was shut up in her room, lonely and desolate. It was a Hogsmead's weekend, but she wasn't really interested. Things could be tough when your ex-boyfriend and yourself share the same social circle. She didn't want to be near her friends....who only wanted to comfort her and pity her...but she didn't want charity. And least of all....she didn't want to see James again.....ever.   
  
Alex entered the room and crossed it to get to Lily's bed where she was hunched against the wall with the curtains drawn. Alex lifted them to reveal Lily's tear stained face peering over one of her pillows. "Oh Lily..." she began, "Come out. It'll do you good. Just come and have a butterbeer with us....just the girls....remember what you used to say....well...up until third year, anyway."   
  
Lily didn't answer, she just sat stoically against the wall staring into space.   
  
Alex continued, "You used to say...'Boys are so stupid, just look at that James Potter, who does he think he is?'"   
  
"And I am still wondering that myself." Lily said faintly, sitting up a little.   
  
Alex laughed and said, "Come out of your cocoon Lily Potter!!!!"   
  
Lily sat bolt upright, "WHAT did you say?!" she demanded, "Don't you EVER call me that."   
  
Alex laughed again, "Oh Lily....go and talk to him...anyone who knows you two knows that it is meant to be....you two I mean. He has made a HUGE mistake and he will realise what he's done. Anyway, you can't deny that you miss him so much; just look at you!"   
  
Lily smiled a little, but she didn't agree, "Are we really that good together?" she asked   
  
"Defenitely" said Alex, "Get out of those pyjamas and get your cloak! We're going wether you like it or not!" 


	4. The break

It was late when the trio arrived back at Hogwarts Castle that evening. They were all laughing, which was good. James watched from the nook. Why had he done it? It had made so much sense right then when he had said those 'last' words. They echoed through his head time and time again. "I don't want to say good-bye, I just have to let you go. I need a rest Lily, but I'll always be there. I'll be there, don't you worry." Had he done it for the right reasons? Thoughts swirled. He could see her face, upturned, waiting for a kiss, hear her laugh echoing upon the empty stairwells, filling the corridors with merriment, taste her lips, feel her kisses. He collapsed on the floor, his body shaking with cold and   
  
sadness.  
  
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Remus looked into Alex's eyes and he just knew. He knew she was the one. She looked back at him, a smile playng on her lips, "Do you wanna?" she asked.  
  
Remus was ready, "Sure."  
  
"Girls dorms." Said Alex, "They're MUCH cleaner."  
  
He took her hand, "If you're sure."  
  
"Sure Im sure." she said, "I've been waiting, and I've been thinking on it for a while."  
  
"Of course." Remus smiled, he knew she wasn't stupid, or unprepared, she was just....the one. His.  
  
James flashed into his mind at that exact moment. James? He was in their room, wasn't he? Sleeping the day away, when last he had seen him. But he was troubled, "I'll be back." he told his girlfriend, and headed for the stairs.  
  
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Leif trudged down the dungeon path to her common room, whistling absent- mindedly. She was dreading the scene she imagined surely awaited her. Lucius was going to do it. He was going to end it. She was sure he would carry through.   
  
Arriving at the blank stoneface all too many students (save Slytherins) avoided, she took a breath and whispered the password. She stepped into utter and complete silence. No one spoke or moved. Motion seemed to freeze as all eyes turned upon her. She closed her eyes and let out the breath she was holding. All eyes followed her as she put one foot after the other, willing herself to make it to the stairs leading to her dorm.  
  
Once there, she collapsed unto her bed and thanked the Lord. The door opened a second later to admit a startled yearmate of hers.  
  
'What's going on?' she asked Leif.  
  
"Oh. Nothing Much." Leif replied cooly, "Narcissa will have my soul for this, is all."  
  
The blundering yearmate stared wide-eyed, "Ummm....Ok." she concluded, "Did you want the door left open?"  
  
"Most certainly....NOT!" Leif yelled.  
  
The girl jumped and headed for the door, muttering appologies. Peace at last, Leif thought, but she was wrong. The door swung open for the second time to admit her older helf-sister, Alex.  
  
"What do YOU want?" Leif asked obnoxiously.  
  
Alex was in her element, "What do YOU mean?! Half the castle is an uproar! Don't think for one minute that I haven't heard things! Lucius MALFOY?!? How could you?"  
  
"I love him." she stated plainly.  
  
"I DON'T...." Alex started to say, "You......you.....LOVE him?"  
  
"Don't think I haven't HEARD things," Leif recited.  
  
"Shut up." Alex retorted, and stalked out. 


End file.
